Feature: My Morning Jacket

Wednesday

Aug 3, 2011 at 12:01 AMAug 8, 2011 at 2:29 PM

My Morning Jacket rode into the public consciousness on flying-V guitars. They blew Conan O'Brien's mind with a merciless rendition of roots-rock anthem "One Big Holiday." They're still known for marathon sets that hit like monsoons.

My Morning Jacket rode into the public consciousness on flying-V guitars. They blew Conan O'Brien's mind with a merciless rendition of roots-rock anthem "One Big Holiday." They're still known for marathon sets that hit like monsoons.

Still, the Louisville rockers' latest album, "Circuital," carries a not-so-vague sense of that rock 'n' roll killer known as "maturity." The tracklist includes a song called "Holdin' on to Black Metal;" it's a funky romp garnished with Huey Lewis horn blasts.

Frontman Jim James winks at the notion of drifting past reckless youth on "Outta My System," a mid-tempo pop jam that begins "They told me not to smoke drugs, but I wouldn't listen/ Never thought I'd get caught and wind up in prison/ Chalk it up to youth, but young age I ain't dissin'/ I guess I just had to get it outta my system."

In subsequent lyrics James acknowledges that he'll never shake certain aspects of rabble-rousing youth, yet "Circuital" is an album that lives squarely in the realm of the older and wiser.

"A lot of that song I just feel like is just looking back and being OK with the past and then saying it's fine to be responsible and to be an adult," bassist Tom Blankenship said. "It's not limiting at all. It's more freeing when you allow yourself to grow up."

Also freeing: Rather than return to the tightly regimented New York studio sessions that yielded 2008's quirky "Evil Urges," My Morning Jacket recorded "Circuital" in a church gymnasium, easing their way through mostly live recordings with Decemberists producer Tucker Martine. The result is an expansive, echoing collection that revives the mood of the band's early recordings - fitting for an album that deals with life cycles.

"This is the most live album we've ever made," Blankenship said. "There are no main vocal takes that were done as an overdub. Almost everything was done in the heat of the moment if you will."

As a result, "Circuital" is warm and organic, a record for exploring vast headspace. They're supporting it with a tour that comes to LC Pavilion this Monday with alt-country siren Neko Case in the opening slot. Blankenship wouldn't rule out a collaboration between My Morning Jacket and Case, who recently joined Guided by Voices for a song at Pitchfork Music Festival.

"I really hope so. We're definitely huge fans of Neko and her band," Blankenship said. "It's one of those things where it kind of develops on the road over time. But hopefully there will be a little cross-contamination."